Timecode Out?

[Shawn Nelson]

I'm meeting with a client tomorrow who is concerned about separate audio recording and using the timecode out port.

Has anyone used this and can chime in? I'm planning on presenting him with three options:
1) Using the 4-pin lemo TC out, convert to either BNC timecode or 3-pin XLR input (depending on client's audio system) and slave audio recorder to it. They would have to be tethered to the system at all times for the timecode to properly remain in sync.
2) Go un-tethered and slave the audio device to a Denecke slate, then in post slave the timecode to what is visually seen on the denecke slate.
3) Dumb-slate, sync to the sound and visual cue of the slate.

If they way option 1, anyone know where to get 4-pin lemo to 3-pin XLR or BNC for timecode out?

Advice is appreciated.

[Stuart English]

No timecode out of RED-ONE at this stage Shawn.

So I'd recommend use of a Denke or Ambient external timecode source for both camera and audio recorder.

[Shawn Nelson]

I thought Jim had announced, prior to even the first Red shipping, that timecode was enabled from the start and even gave an example of how it was a critical feature being used by Soderberg?

[Shawn Nelson]

Oh, and when you say using a Denecke for camera, do you mean outputting the slate to both the audio and video simultaneously, or running the Denecke out to the audio then slaving the video to the Denecke in post?

[Greg M]

Shawn,
although there arent many answers to your questions, I started a similar thread yesterday here:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5841

The cable you are looking for is available from Location Sound for $75. It is made by Sound Devices.

Unless your TC source can provide 23.98 it wont do much good though...for now option 2 is your best bet.

[Mark L. Pederson]

We had a more sexy version of this cable custom made at Gotham Sound in NY for about $90

Shawn, give me a call if you have any trouble with JAM sync'ing slate to camera - very easy - works great - we tested the hell out of it -

But yeah, you can only slave camera to EXT TC - (from smart slate, etc.) - soon, I would assume, you will be able to lock slate to camera's generated TC - but right now, you are JAM'n camera to slate -

We used it very successfully WITHOUT a lockit box - just slate and camera (and the cable on boot/JAM - then remove cable)

[Stuart English]

Oh, and when you say using a Denecke for camera, do you mean outputting the slate to both the audio and video simultaneously, or running the Denecke out to the audio then slaving the video to the Denecke in post?

No, I mean sequentially connect them Shawn, i.e. you connect the slate via the 5 pin LEMO and enable JAM SYNC in the timecode menu. Make a 1 second recording, then remove the slate. After that the RED ONE will be able to maintain timecode sync on its own.

After that do whatever you need to do with the slate for the audio recorder.

Repeat the above slate syncing if you power cycle the RED ONE or if you do a variable frame rate pass.

Or, if you have one of the small Denecke or Ambient timecode boxes, you can leave that mounted to the camera frame. In which case the RED ONE will re-sync from that on the first frame of every new clip. This is a NOT a requirement, it just means you can forget what I just said about re-slating on a power cycle or after a variable frame rate recording pass.

[Shawn Nelson]

digital, Mark, Stuart, thanks!

Mark, I like Gotham and would like to order this cable from them. Is there a name? Or will they know what I am talking about if I call up and ask for the 'Red TC cable'?

Alright, bear with me gents, just to make sure I have this (I haven't had to deal with jam-syncing before)...

You set the slate to master, it is generating the timecode, the Red syncs (via TC in) to this timecode first in the day and then that timecode is free running throughout the day (whether recording or not), you do the same thing for the audio. So back in post, you can sync up the audio and visual files somehow. Two takes won't be 0 seconds apart like normally, they would read as however many minutes apart they actually were, so 5 min apart if that's how long it took to reset the camera.

So, either the sound guy has to have a recorder capable of being the TC master (such as if he had a Sound Devices 702T or 744T) or we need a Smart Slate with TC generation to be master?

[Mike Prevette]

You pretty much got it Shawn.

Just remember to re-sync every couple of hours to make sure no drift has happened. I'm not to familure with RED, but with film cameras I do it after every powerdown.

_mike

[Greg M]

We had a more sexy version of this cable custom made at Gotham Sound in NY for about $90



what is different? Can you please post an image?

[mezmo]

hi shawn
yes you won't get an ascending constant code you'll get 24 hour code
with camera/recorder on-offs to your clips/sound files.
you may want to put a shoot day number in user bits if possible, day 1 to ?
this may help in post.
mezmo